Netflix, the Los Gatos distributor of movies and television shows, is planning a European expansion.

The company said Wednesday that it will extend its European offerings beyond Britain, the Netherlands and Scandinavia to six additional countries, including Germany and France, this year.

Netflix, which currently charges European subscribers the equivalent of about $10 a month, did not say how much the subscriptions would cost in the new markets.

The company, which has achieved significant growth in the United States, will be up against established competition in Europe, like Sky in Britain, Canal Plus in France and Deutsche Telekom in Germany. It will also need to contend with Amazon, which already offers similar on-demand video services across Europe.

That, analysts say, could make it difficult for Netflix to break into the new countries, which also include Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland, many of which also have incumbent companies with large domestic presences.

Netflix, however, is eager to diversify beyond its core U.S. market, which represents 72 percent of its 49.8 million global subscribers, according to the company's latest financial statement.

Despite the entrenched rivals, Europe offers Netflix a potentially attractive growth area, as countries including Germany and France have built up extensive high-speed broadband networks that would be conduits for the company's programming.

And unlike in the United States, where net neutrality regulations are under discussion, Netflix may find more regulatory certainty overseas. European Union lawmakers recently agreed to protect net neutrality - the principle that telecommunications companies and cable operators must treat all Internet traffic on their networks on an equal basis.

U.S. regulators are still mulling changes that might allow network operators to charge companies like Netflix extra to use their cable networks because their video services soak up a lot of Internet capacity.

Netflix Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings, has spoken out against the proposed U.S. changes, even though his company has signed deals with the likes of the cable giant Comcast to guarantee fast access to networks.

As Netflix and Amazon vie for European viewers, both companies have been offering discounted monthly contracts.

In Britain, Amazon bought on-demand video company Lovefilm in 2011 for about $337 million. Lovefilm has now expanded across Europe, particularly in Germany.

Still, a recent study by Decipher Media Research, a London consulting firm, found that Netflix is adding British subscribers at a faster rate than Amazon, partly because of interest in original Netflix content, including the political drama "House of Cards."

It remains unclear, however, whether Netflix will be able to replicate that success across Europe.

The many European satellite and cable operators that provide similar services have long-term contracts with television show providers and franchises that may make it difficult for Netflix to secure the European rights to some of the most popular programming.